Soft, spreadable, and utterly irresistible, this easy garlic confit recipe transforms simple cloves into creamy, golden flavor bombs. Gently roasted in olive oil with rosemary and thyme, this versatile kitchen staple brings restaurant-level richness to your everyday meals.
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WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS EASY GARLIC CONFIT RECIPE
You will fall for this garlic confit in olive oil because it’s pure flavor alchemy, turning sharp garlic into mellow, buttery magic. It’s easy to make, freezer-friendly, and instantly elevates everything from mashed potatoes to morning eggs.
You’ll find a whole list of inspiring ways to use garlic confit in everyday cooking, scroll down for a wealth of ideas on how to enjoy this recipe in countless dishes.
Jump to:
- WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS EASY GARLIC CONFIT RECIPE
- INGREDIENTS FOR THIS GARLIC CONFIT IN OLIVE OIL RECIPE
- Choosing the Right Olive Oil for Garlic Confit
- HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY GARLIC CONFIT RECIPE
- EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- What Is Confit?
- Safe Storage for Garlic Confit
- GARLIC GROWERS + HARVEST INFORMATION
- Garlic Confit in Olive Oil
- DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS GARLIC CONFIT IN OLIVE OIL RECIPE
- Garlic: The heart of this recipe, slow roasting transforms garlic into soft, buttery cloves with a mellow sweetness and spreadable texture that’s easy to love.
- Olive Oil: Acts as both cooking medium and flavor carrier, creating an infused oil rich with garlic and herbs, liquid gold for drizzling or dipping.
- Rosemary: Adds an earthy pine aroma that balances the richness of the oil and deepens the Mediterranean character of this easy garlic confit recipe.
- Thyme: Offers a subtle herbal freshness that complements the roasted garlic and rosemary beautifully.
- Peppercorns: Provide a delicate warmth without overpowering, enhancing the savory depth of the oil.
- Salt: Draws out moisture and rounds out the flavor, helping the garlic caramelize gently in the oven.
Choosing the Right Olive Oil for Garlic Confit
Because garlic confit roasts gently below 400°F, almost any olive oil will work beautifully. Extra virgin olive oil is the most flavorful option and holds up well at this temperature. If you want a milder, buttery flavor, go for a light or filtered olive oil. If you love peppery or grassy notes, choose a robust cold-pressed extra virgin.
The oil becomes just as valuable as the garlic, it transforms into liquid gold for drizzling over vegetables, bread, or pasta. Since the oil absorbs the garlic and herb essence, start with one you enjoy dipping your bread into, and you can’t go wrong.
HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY GARLIC CONFIT RECIPE
Soft, spreadable, delicious slow roasted garlic that is mild and wonderful as the day is long.
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Prep the Garlic and Herbs: Place the peeled garlic cloves, rosemary, thyme, salt, and peppercorns in an oven-safe baking dish. Pour in the olive oil until the cloves are at least 75% submerged. If they aren’t, switch to a smaller dish or top off with a bit more oil.
Tip: You can peel the cloves yourself or use store-bought pre-peeled garlic to save time. - Slow Roast the Garlic: Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the garlic turns soft, fragrant, and lightly golden.
- Cool and Store: Allow the confit to cool completely before using or storing. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 year.
Baking and Dish Options:
- Without a Lid - Ceramic or glass bake dish. This can achieve a more brown appearance.
- With a lid - Small round cocotte ceramic dutch oven such as a Staub. This can achieve a lighter color appearance.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- Oven-safe baking dish or small Dutch oven
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Fine mesh strainer (optional, for infused oil)
- Airtight jars for storage
- Silicone spatula for scooping
What Is Confit?
Confit is a classic French cooking method that gently cooks food at a low temperature to preserve it. Long before refrigerators, this technique was used to keep ingredients from spoiling, meats were cured in salt and slowly cooked in fat, while fruits were simmered in sugar syrup. The word confit actually means “to preserve.”
Today, it’s less about food storage and more about creating incredible flavor. This garlic confit in olive oil is a modern take on that tradition, where cloves of garlic are slowly roasted in oil until they become soft, creamy, and delicately sweet. What began as a practical necessity has evolved into one of the most beloved culinary techniques in kitchens around the world.
Safe Storage for Garlic Confit
I personally store my garlic confit in a clean glass jar that has been washed in a dishwasher and sterilized in a hot oven to ensure maximum sterile conditions of the fully cooked garlic. Because of my personal precautions, I keep my confit for up to a month in the refrigerator. I have never had a problem with this method and I’ve been doing it for years. However, below are best practices recommended by the USDA.
When using immediately
Store in a clean mason jar and use within a week. Consider making a half batch.
Storage over a week
Store in the freezer. Smaller portions make it easier to thaw and use servings later.
USDA Safety Guidelines
The USDA’s foremost concern is always safety! Storing garlic in oil creates an anaerobic environment where clostridium botulinum can grow. This implicitly implies that the USDA acknowledges the possibility that the garlic might not have been cooked thoroughly. For this reason, the USDA suggests storing it no more than a week in the fridge, and therefore suggests the idea of freezing surplus garlic confit so it is safe indefinitely.
if you didn't cook the garlic quite hot enough for long enough, there'd be very little indication if clostridium survived and then multiplied in the cooling confit. Further, if your jar is not perfectly clean, it is possible that C. botulinum remained on the jar.
Ways to Use Garlic Confit in Olive Oil
This easy garlic confit recipe is endlessly versatile, ready to elevate everything it touches. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it, from weeknight dinners to café-style breakfasts:
- Spread it on Everything: Try it on pasta, pizza, or crostini toasts. It’s especially dreamy spooned over Frena Moroccan Bread, soaking into every golden crevice.
- Make Garlic Confit Butter: One of my all-time favorites, mash roasted cloves into softened butter and spread it on toast with arugula, a sunny-side-up egg, and a drizzle of chili oil. It’s restaurant-worthy perfection.
- Top a Baked Potato: Spoon soft, buttery garlic over a baked potato, drizzle with the confit oil, and finish with sour cream and fresh parsley for simple luxury.
- Whip into Mashed Potatoes: Whether you go classic garlic mashed potatoes or take it up a notch with garlic miso mash, the flavor is rich and elegant.
- Blend into Garlic Aioli: Add confit cloves for an instant depth of flavor that makes any sandwich or fry plate irresistible.
- Upgrade Your Dressings: Stir into Buttermilk Caesar Dressing or whisk it into vinaigrettes for silky texture and mild garlic warmth.
- Toss with Garlic Potato Wedges: Use the infused oil to roast crispy potato wedges that shine with aromatic flavor.
- Garlic Cheese Bread with Spaghetti: Brush the oil on bread before toasting and serve alongside your favorite pasta night.
- Finish Soups with Flair: Drizzle over Roasted Garden Tomato Soup, Creamy Potato Leek Soup, or Roasted Butternut Squash Soup for a warm, aromatic finish.
GARLIC GROWERS + HARVEST INFORMATION
Garlic is typically harvested between June and August in the Western U.S., including California, Oregon, and Utah. Once cured and stored, it remains available year-round, making this garlic confit in olive oil an ideal recipe for every season. Its slow-roasted flavor adds warmth in winter and pairs beautifully with fresh summer produce like tomatoes or zucchini. Garlic grown by devoted farmers such as Mad River Garlic Growers and Snickers Run Farm reminds us that every clove begins with care, patience, and rich cultivated soil. Get to know the farmers where you live and support their hard efforts to bring us great food.
Mad River Garlic Growers - build on generations of garden-first values and farm their garlic organically in Ohio, every clove carries the care of their land forward.
Snicker Run Farm - Raised on the slopes of the Blue Ridge, Snickers Run Farm in Virginia nurtures its garlic with mountain air, spring water, and soil made richer by their beloved rescue cows — where every clove carries a bit of their heart.
Garlic Confit in Olive Oil
Ingredients
- ½ pound garlic (225 g) cloves peeled (about 5 heads)
- 1 ½ cups olive oil (360 ml)
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon salt (6 g)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Prep the Garlic and Herbs: Place the peeled garlic cloves, rosemary, thyme, salt, and peppercorns in an oven-safe baking dish. Pour in the olive oil until the cloves are at least 75% submerged. If they aren’t, switch to a smaller dish or top off with a bit more oil.
- Tip: You can peel the cloves yourself or use store-bought pre-peeled garlic to save time.
- Slow Roast the Garlic: Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the garlic turns soft, fragrant, and lightly golden.
- Cool and Store: Allow the confit to cool completely before using or storing. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 year.
Notes
- Without a Lid - Ceramic or glass bake dish. This can achieve a more brown appearance.
- With a lid - Small round cocotte ceramic dutch oven such as a Staub. This can achieve a lighter color appearance.
Nutrition
DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The diet categories listed below are offered as a helpful guide, not as nutritional advice. While I’m not a dietitian, I am a professional baker by day with a deep love for seasonal produce and savory cooking at home. Bite Me Industries is a produce-forward blog that celebrates the flavors of each season through crave-worthy bakes and vibrant, flavor-driven recipes, the kind that transport you to your favorite bakery, café, or cozy bistro.
Here is a quick reference if you are trying to meet a dietary consideration.
- DF (Dairy Free): Yes, this recipe contains no dairy ingredients.
- EF (Egg Free): Yes, no eggs are used in this recipe.
- GF (Gluten-Free): Yes, completely gluten-free when served on gluten-free bread or dishes.
- NF (Nut Free): Yes, naturally free from nuts.
- PB (Plant-Based): Yes, made entirely from plant ingredients.
- SF (Sugar Free): Yes, no added sugar in this recipe.
- VE (Vegetarian): Yes, perfectly suited for vegetarians.
- VG (Vegan): Yes, fully vegan and made only with plants and herbs.
- Paleo: Yes, compliant with paleo guidelines since it uses whole foods and healthy fats.
- Keto: Yes, fits keto guidelines due to its high fat and low carb profile.
- Whole30: Yes, meets Whole30 standards when made with approved olive oil.
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